You can haz grammar: COULD vs WOULD
Someone requested this a couple days ago, so I’m obliging. But the real issue here is essentially CAN vs WILL because, though also used as present tense auxiliary verbs, COULD and WOULD are their past tense forms.
Most people mix this up through polite questions like,
“WOULD you go to the store for me?”
“COULD you make me a sandwich?”But the difference here is actually really easy:
- CAN / COULD implies conditional ability or possibility.
- WILL / WOULD implies intention.
When you ask someone if they COULD go to the store for you, you’re asking if they have the ability to. When you ask if they WOULD, you’re asking if they’re going to / willing to.
I remember this through how I might answer things. Sentences like “I could, but I won’t.”, are expressing that you have the ability to, but you’re not going to. While “I would, but I can’t.” expresses you’re willing to, but don’t have the ability to.
I actually don’t like using COULD / WOULD in questions like this because, though considered much more polite, the meaning is kind of blunted. CAN / WILL is much more assertive language.
